The present invention relates to a process for disposing of human wastes, a disposable container for collecting human wastes, a process for producing the disposable container and a container-grinding machine for disposing of the container.
The importance of the sanitary disposal of human wastes from health-care centers has been a constant issue in every community, and this importance keeps growing as long as hospitals and clinics tend to improve their health and prophylactic standards in view of the great prevalence of high-risk diseases.
The main interest of urban authorities is not only targeted to avoid sewerage system overloading, but also to guarantee that these are capable of delivering organic wastes without contaminating the environment, since they may represent a growth medium for contagious diseases and for insects that convey such diseases.
Known processes for collecting and recovering human wastes from health-care centers are limited to the use of plastic or metal containers, which are presumably easy to clean, for transferring wastes to a nearby collecting sewer-inlet. After being used, it is the responsibility of the hospital staff to appropriately clean and disinfect said containers. These procedures have proven to be ineffective and diseases spreading means throughout treatment centers and rest homes. It is apparent that this requirement has not been met because of the lack of elements that could overcome the above problems in an effective and cost-effective manner.
Several urinals and containers for collecting human wastes are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,067 (Woodward) describes an open box urinal which comprises flexible walls and a relatively stiff bottom, to be used by pressing the walls together with the user""s thighs in order to hold the container in place without other support during use. However, the document does not mention nor suggests a container for collecting solid human feces, menstrual fluids or any other organic material other that urine, as is described in the embodiment of FIGS. 7A and 7B of the present invention. In column 1, lines 9-17, lines 31-39, and in the preamble of claim 1 the cited document makes it clear that the urinal is designed to be used by a female user, whilst the present invention is by no means restricted in that sense and may be used by both men or women, children or elderly people, being only restricted by a maximum weight of approximately 330 lbs. In column 1, lines 55-58 the cited document mentions that the urinal was designed for erect urination in order to keep the patient""s vulva clean. However, the embodiment of FIGS. 7A and 7B of the present invention is designed with a structural profile to be used with patients that are either unable to get off their bed, or are asleep or are unable to consciously collaborate with the nurse, being particularly adequate for being shifted under the patient while lying down. The urinal described by Woodward would be totally inadequate for this usage. In column 2, lines 60-63 the cited document discloses a box made of resiliently flexible plastic. This totally deviates from the present invention""s concept in the sense that the latter claims a disposable, substantially biodegradable material, comprising cellulose pulp or cellulose-derived material, such as cardboard or similar. The material described in the cited document is not biodegradable and would be totally inadequate for disposing and grinding as described by the present invention. Finally Woodward defines an open box with flexible walls to be deformed by a female user""s thighs whilst the embodiment of FIGS. 7A and 7B of the present invention is designed with a certain profile and includes a lid that contributes to keep its original shape provided the maximum user""s weight of approximately 330 lbs. is not exceeded. Finally this document does not mention or describe the fact that a container lid is designed and selected for acting as a structural reinforcement for attaining a overall resistance of up to 330 lbs, nor the fact that the lid has a texturized, anti-slipping surface for avoiding slippage during usage.
Patent GB 2,019,209 (Turner) describes a urinal which is expendable and intended to be destroyed after use, made of molded fiber pulp and formed by upper and lower portions having respective flanges which are glued together to form the complete urinal. The present invention shows an embodiment in FIGS. 7A and 7B for collecting human wastes and is not restricted to urine. This difference is supported by the design of the shape of this embodiment. Turner does not mention in any way the fact that the urinal may be shifted underneath a laying patient for collecting solid feces and the shape of his urinal is totally inadequate for doing so. Turner describes flanges that are glued together to form the complete urinal whilst the present invention claims a lower portion and an upper portion which are snapped together by means of a flange design that avoids the use of adhesives or glues. This is an important advantage since glues are products which may require the addition of bactericides that may cause allergies in patients with particularly sensible skin. Additional to this, the extra costs and stocking facilities needed for keeping enough glue or the stocking facilities needed for keeping previously glued assemblies are clear handicaps of the urinal described by Turner, and which are solved by the present invention. Turner does not mention any thickness that may attain the imperviousness during two hours or more and it does not mention or describe the fact that a container lid is designed and selected for acting as a structural reinforcement for attaining a overall resistance of up to 330 lbs, nor the fact that the lid has a texturized, anti-slipping surface for avoiding slippage during usage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,426 (Geddes) describes a urinal made by blow molding process which may be used by both male and female patients thanks to a replaceable adapter that adapts anatomically to the different genital configurations, also including a closure or odor shield with a hinge portion which fits over the open end of the adapter for sealing the interior of the container. The base of the container is enlarged for better stability in an upright position. In column 2, line 40, Geddes describes the container as being a plastic blow molded container and does not mention or suggest any embodiment that may be made of a disposable, grindable or biodegradable material that may be dumped by means of a grinding machine into the sewer system. The present invention defines a container with a definite thickness range for assuring imperviousness of walls made of biodegradable material. Further, the cited document does not describe a urinal or a bedpot comprised by two portions which are engaged by snapping and free of gluing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,249 (Reed) describes a disposable bedpan comprising a folded box of initially flat cardboard material and a separate waste-receiving tray of disposable material. Integral spaced-apart projections in the tray support the box at the desired contour under the weight of a patient. Each side of the box has a waste-receiving opening and the openings are of different sizes to permit reversal of the box with respect to the tray to accommodate either children or adult patients. Although the bedpan described by Reed seems to be adequate for holding waste for some time, no mention is made in the sense that the walls are made within a definite thickness range that may assure an imperviousness of approximately two hours or more. Further, the cited document does not describe a urinal or a bedpot comprised by two portions which are engaged by snapping and free of gluing. Reed describes an internal tray with spaced apart projections for attaining enough rigidity for a user to sit on it. However, in the present invention this is achieved by means of two different aspects: a) a shell-type lower portion with enough wall thickness and b) a specially designed lid which not only avoids spillage but also contributes in enhancing the stress distribution.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,515 (Beaumont) reveals a disposable urinal formed from a flat, unitary sheet of an impermeable material. This document does not show a bedpan that may be used by a patient lying on a bed and unable to collaborate with the nurse and is not adequate for collecting solid human feces. The document does not mention that the container is capable of withstanding the weight of a patient and due to its overall profile, it is not adequate to be slipped under a lying patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,732 (Mills) describes a disposable bedpan assembly formed by a bedpan and a optional support. Although the document describes a definite overall profile for letting the assembly be slipped under a patient, it does not mention any particular lid surface design for avoiding slippage of the container under the patient""s weight when used.
It is therefore an overall object of this invention to overcome the problem of the lack of hygiene and asepsis of conventional human waste collection methods in health-care centers and rest homes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for collecting and transporting human wastes in a sanitary and safe manner, without involving the contact of personnel with these wastes, enclosing them in a disposable container, for the purpose of processing said container in a grinding machine and discharging the resulting fluid into the sewer-pipe.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a disposable, grindable, and substantially biodegradable container that is useful to carry out said process.
(It is a further object of the present invention to provide a disposable, grindable, container that is built of a substantially non-biodegradable material and useful to carry out said process).
(It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sterile and packaged container, which is disposable, grindable, and substantially biodegradable, and useful to carry out the above process).
(It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sterile and packaged container, which is disposable, grindable, and built of a substantially non-biodegradable material, that is useful to carry out said process).
(It is another object of the present invention to provide a grinding machine or crushing mill to carry out the above process.)
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a process of manufacturing the disposable container.